Dundee United finished the Scottish First Division 1995âÂÂ96 season in 2nd place, after being relegated from the Premier Division the previous season. Although missing out on the automatic promotion slot through winning the league, United won promotion through the play-off system, beating Partick Thistle 3âÂÂ2 over two legs. United secured the play-off on the final day of the season, drawing with 3rd-placed Morton and finishing 2nd on goal difference.
United scored freely at home in the league, particularly in the second half of the season, including 8âÂÂ0 and 6âÂÂ1 wins over Dumbarton and a 6âÂÂ0 triumph against Clydebank. This 19-goal swing was enough to provide the superior goal difference that secured 2nd place.
The cup campaigns brought little joy, with a 3rd round League Cup defeat to Motherwell and an agonising quarter-final Scottish Cup defeat to Celtic who scored twice in the last minute to win 2âÂÂ1. Embarrassingly, the club lost on penalties to Stenhousemuir in the Scottish Challenge Cup final, although didn't concede during the entire tournament.
Off the pitch, United won the 'First Division Programme of the Year'.
Manager Billy Kirkwood continued to rebuild the team over the close season, bringing in Motherwell defender Rab Shannon, Rangers keeper Ally Maxwell and Neil Caldwell, also from Ibrox. Another two ex-Rangers players arrived before the start of the season, with Steven Pressley and Sandy Robertson both arriving from Coventry City. The Rangers connection continued when the Ibrox club made a bid of ã1.5 million for Gordan Petric, which United accepted and this money helped to re-shape the team well into the new season. Also out the door went Juan Ferrari, walking out after not being promised a first team place, and the Brazilian Sergio left for Kuwait.
August started with a friendly against Rangers at Tannadice and United showed that they could still compete with the best as they narrowly lost 2âÂÂ1. Just days later, United played Dundee at Tannadice in Dave Bowman's testimonial match, with United winning 2âÂÂ0. The season got under way with a draw with Morton at Tannadice with five new players in the starting line-up, then a short trip down the road saw Cowdenbeath beaten in the 2nd round of the League Cup. With United now playing in the First Division, they were entered into the Scottish Challenge Cup for the first time, and won 2âÂÂ0 at Stranraer. a 3âÂÂ0 defeat away to Dunfermline meant United had picked up only one point in their opening two league matches. Kirkwood then snapped up former Rangers and Aberdeen player Jim Bett, following his release from Hearts. The 3rd round of the League Cup saw Motherwell win 2âÂÂ1 at Tannadice, giving United one less distraction during a difficult season.
In September, Paddy Connolly scored the winner in a 2âÂÂ1 win over Hamilton Academical at Tannadice, and an own goal gave United the points in a 1âÂÂ0 home win over St Mirren. Connolly then scored twice in a 3âÂÂ0 win over Hamilton in the 2nd round of the League Challenge Cup at Tannadice, and a Jim Bett goal and Billy McKinlay penalty gave United the points in a 2âÂÂ1 win against Clydebank at Kilbowie. United went down 2âÂÂ1 at home to Airdrieonians before a youthful team won 1âÂÂ0 away to Clydebank in the quarter-finals of the League Challenge Cup. United then beat Dundee 3âÂÂ2 at Dens Park where McKinlay scored a hat-trick in his last match for United before his ã1.75 million transfer to Blackburn Rovers.
Into October, and Robbie Winters scored twice as United beat Dunfermline 4âÂÂ0 at East End Park in the semifinals of the League Challenge Cup to go through to the final at McDiarmid Park. Billy Kirkwood then signed yet another former Rangers player, Gary McSwegan, from Notts County, and he made his debut in the 1âÂÂ0 defeat to Dumbarton at Boghead Park. Goals seemed to be hard to come by in the league, so Kirkwood brought yet another striker to Tannadice. Owen Coyle arrived from Bolton Wanderers and scored on his debut in a 2âÂÂ1 win over St Johnstone at Tannadice. McSwegan scored his first goal for the club in a 1âÂÂ0 away win over Hamilton, and both strikers scored in a 3âÂÂ1 win over Dunfermline at Tannadice. United then finished the month with their 4th straight win with a 3âÂÂ0 home victory over Clydebank.
November saw ex-United midfielder Ray McKinnon return to Tannadice after spells with Nottingham Forest and Aberdeen, and he made his debut against Stenhousemuir in the League Challenge Cup final at McDiarmid Park. Ex-United legend Eamonn Bannon turned out for the opposition that day and the game ended in a disappointing 0âÂÂ0 draw, with United losing 5âÂÂ4 on penalties. Incredibly, United failed to concede during the entire tournament. Young Celtic defender Jamie McQuilken was then brought in for ã150,000. Robbie Winters scored in a 1âÂÂ1 draw with St Mirren at Love Street before Maurice Malpas and Craig Brewster scored as United lost 3âÂÂ2 to Dundee at Tannadice. Malpas scored again in a 1âÂÂ1 draw with Airdrie, but United had failed to win in the whole of November. December started with a flurry of goals as Craig Brewster's form returned and he scored four goals in an 8âÂÂ0 win over Dumbarton at Tannadice. a 0âÂÂ0 draw with St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park was followed by a 2âÂÂ1 win over Morton at Cappielow. Brewster's goals continued to come with a 1âÂÂ1 draw at home to Hamilton and a hard-fought match at Tannadice saw United come back to level 2âÂÂ2 against Airdrie with nine men.
Robbie Winters started January with three goals in two games, scoring in a 1âÂÂ1 draw away to Clydebank and then two goals against Dundee at Dens in a 2âÂÂ0 victory. Gary McSwegan then scored twice in a 2âÂÂ1 home win over St Mirren before scoring again in a 3âÂÂ1 win over Dumbarton at Boghead where Rab Shannon scored his only goal for the club. After a 3âÂÂ1 home defeat to St Johnstone in February, United started their Scottish Cup campaign with a midweek trip down to Berwick Rangers after the match had been postponed. Owen Coyle scored twice to take United through to the next round, which was played against Dunfermline the following Saturday. Craig Brewster scored the only goal of the game at Tannadice and United were in the quarterfinals. United then met Dunfermline again at East End Park as the teams drew 2âÂÂ2, as the title chase picked up, with any one of five teams in with a chance of winning the League. Craig Brewster took his tally to 13 for the season with two goals in a 4âÂÂ0 win over Morton at Tannadice.
In March, United dropped points in the league with a 1âÂÂ1 draw with Airdrie at Broomfield. The Scottish Cup quarter finals saw United go 1âÂÂ0 up against Celtic at Parkhead through Owen Coyle, and with minutes remaining United looked to have knocked out the holders. But just like in the finals of 1985 and 1988, two late goals for Celtic saw United lose out. United then went on a great run, scoring 17 goals in the next 4 matches, starting with another 2âÂÂ0 win over Dundee at Tannadice, with McSwegan and Brewster scoring as Dundee's new signing Chic Charnley was sent off. Craig Brewster scored another hat-trick in a 6âÂÂ0 win over Clydebank at Tannadice, before Andy McLaren scored in a 3âÂÂ1 win over St Mirren at Love Street. At the end of the month Paddy Connolly was sold to Airdrie for ã150,000 after over eight years at Tannadice.
The goals kept coming at the start of April, as Gary McSwegan grabbed 4 goals in a 6âÂÂ1 win over Dumbarton at Tannadice. Since that 1âÂÂ0 defeat at Boghead six months previously, United had scored 17 goals against Dumbarton in 3 games. Just as United looked to be running away with the league, they lost another important three points with a 1âÂÂ0 defeat to St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park. a 2âÂÂ0 victory away to Hamilton put United back in the driving seat, and with two games left, United had to play their two nearest challengers. With a one-point advantage, United faced Dunfermline at Tannadice, and with a crowd of 12,000 turning up expecting to see United clinch the title, Dunfermline left with a 1âÂÂ0 win. That defeat left United two points behind Dunfermline, and the final game of the season was against third-placed Morton. In front of over 12,000, United managed a 2âÂÂ2 draw to pip Morton to 2nd place on goal difference and secure the play-off place.
The play-off was a two-legged tie between the team finishing 2nd bottom in the Premier Division and the team finishing 2nd in the First. Murdo McLeod's Partick Thistle took the lead in the 1st leg at Firhill, but a last-minute Christian Dailly header equalised for United and the scores were level for the 2nd leg at Tannadice four days later. After attacking for most of the match, United went 1âÂÂ0 down to an Ian Cameron penalty, and things looked even worse as Cameron went down in the box with minutes remaining. But a second penalty wasn't given and United desperately pushed for the all-important equaliser.
Just as it looked like United's chance to get back to the Premier Division had gone, Brian Welsh popped up with a last-minute header which sparked unbelievable scenes at Tannadice and take the game into extra-time. With the fans behind them, United kept attacking and Andy McLaren set up the winning goal as Owen Coyle pounced to take United back to the Premier Division at the first attempt.
Dundee United played a total of 45 competitive matches during the 1994âÂÂ95 season. The team finished tenth (bottom) in the Premier Division and were relegated.
In the cup competitions, United lost in the fourth round of the Tennent's Scottish Cup to Aberdeen and lost narrowly in the Coca-Cola Cup quarter-finals to Rangers.
All results are written with Dundee United's score first.
<small>Stenhousemuir beat United 5âÂÂ4 on penalty kicks</small>
During the 1995âÂÂ96 season, United used 30 different players. The table below shows the number of appearances and goals scored by each player. Play-off appearances are included in the league appearances column.
Eleven players were signed for/during the 1995âÂÂ96 season, with a total transfer cost of nearly ã2.5m. The most expensive player signed was Steven Pressley, who arrived from Coventry City for a club record ã750,000. In addition to this, four youth players were awarded their first professional contracts in the close season.
The players that joined Dundee United during the 1995âÂÂ96 season are listed below, along with their previous club. Stuart Gilmour, Dale Gray, Ben Honeyman and Paul Walker were the youth players promoted.
Ten players left the club permanently with two transfers â Billy McKinlay to Blackburn Rovers and Gordan Petric to Rangers â receiving seven-figure sums. The other eight players were either released or sold for smaller six-figure sums, with around ã3.5m received in transfer fees, bringing a transfer profit of approximately ã1m.
Listed below are the players that were transferred out and released during the season, along with the club that they joined. For players that were released by the club, the team that they joined is listed.
The jerseys were sponsored by Rover